VAPDC Connections

Virginia Association of Planning District Commissions - October 2010

In This Issue
~ President's Message ~
~ VAMPO Formed ~
~ Region 2000 Partnership Receives IEDC Award ~
~ RVA RC's New Energy Efficiency Program ~
~ Decade of Disaster Resistance in Valley ~
~ RVA RC IMPLAN Model ~
~ Goshen Celebrates Project ~
 
From the President
 
       

     It has only been three brief months since the beginning of VAPDC's 'new year' and the election of officers and directors for VAPDC. We have a great group of people helping to guide VAPDC to continued success. Thanks to all who made our Summer Conference a meaningful event.  The Summer Conference theme Creating Regional Opportunities from Regional Challenges will continue to be at the forefront as we move toward the winter months in the Commonwealth.

     The initial report from the Commission on Government Reform highlights regionalism as being key to Virginia's future. VAPDC continues to participate in activities that raise the profile of PDCs and working regionally to be an efficient and effective state. The PDCs will meet this month with various state agencies to discuss how the state and the regions of Virginia can work together to solve Virginia's issues.

     Be on the lookout for information about VAPDC's Winter Conference in February 2011 in Richmond. We are working to bring you a timely agenda. Program details will be available soon on www. VAPDC.org. You won't to miss this annual program!

     I will look forward to seeing many of you in February at the Winter Conference in Richmond and if not in the coming year. Get involved and help us continue approaching issues from a regional perspective to find solutions that work for Virginia.

 

Martin Nohe     

President, VAPDC
 
Upcoming Meetings

Board of Directors Meetings 2010:
November 10
December 8
(All board meetings at 9:00 am.)
 
  • Lenowisco PDC
  • Cumberland Plateau PDC
  • Mount Rogers PDC
  • New River Valley PDC
  • Roanoke Valley-Alleghany RC 
  • Central Shenandoah PDC
  • Northern Shenandoah Valley PDC
  • Northern Virginia RC
  • Rappahannock-Rapidan RC
  • Thomas Jefferson PDC
  • Region 2000 LGC
  • West Piedmont PDC
  • Southside PDC
  • Richmond Regional PDC
  • George Washington RC
  • Northern Neck PDC
  • Crater PDC
  • Accomack-Northampton PDC
  • Hampton Roads PDC
 
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Virginia Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (VAMPO) Officially Formed

 

     A group of Virginia MPOs from across the Commonwealth met on Tuesday, October 12 in Charlottesville and voted unanimously to form the Virginia Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (VAMPO) and approved the organization's bylaws. Virginia's Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) have been working over the past year to come together and form VAMPO to provide a better line of communication with VDOT, DRPT and other transportation agencies that fall under the Secretary of Transportation's office.

     VAMPO's formation is in response to HJR756, which calls for the Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) of Virginia to form a Statewide Association, define a mission for that Association and recommend to the General Assembly what statutory changes, if any, are needed to improve transportation planning and programming in Virginia. 

     "This is an exciting step in advancing the role of Virginia's regions with the assistance of VAMPO," said Dwight Farmer, Executive Director, Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization (HRTPO).

     Read more...

 

 
Virginia's Region 2000 Partnership Receives Award from IEDC

     The Virginia's Region 2000 Partnership received an Honorable Mention for Excellence in Economic Development for their Regionalism and Cross-Border Collaboration in the category of Regionalism & Cross-Border Promotion for communities with populations of 200,000 - 500,000 from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC).

     The Local Government Council is one of six organizations in the Region 2000 Partnership.

     The honor was presented at an awards ceremony on Tuesday, September 28 during the IEDC Annual Conference, September 26-29 in Columbus, Ohio.

     Read more...

 
Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission Kicks Off New Regional Energy Efficiency Program

     The Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission held a kick-off event for its new regional energy efficiency program Volunteers for Energy (VfE) on September 14, 2010 in Roanoke. The new VfE program will help businesses, industries, institutions, and governmental entities reduce energy usage, eliminate waste, and manage natural resources efficiently. VfE will utilize retired engineers and scientists to provide confidential and nonregulatory energy efficiency and pollution prevention assessments to its clients. The program was funded through a successful application to the Va. Dept. of Mines, Minerals and Energy. Stephen Walz, Director of the Va. Dept. of Mines, Minerals and Energy, presented opening remarks at the kick-off event. Terry Albrecht, Director of the North Carolina program Waste Reduction Partners (WRP), was on hand to share success stories of the WRP program established in 1992. Staff Contact: Jake Gilmer ([email protected] or 540-343-4417).
 
A Decade of Disaster Resistance in the Valley

      This September, the Central Shenandoah PDC's disaster preparedness and mitigation education program, Shenandoah Valley Project Impact (SVPI) will celebrate its tenth anniversary. Begun in 2000, SVPI was created through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Project Impact Initiative. In 2003, SVPI became the regional Citizen Corps Council for the local jurisdictions in the Central Shenandoah Planning District and continues today under the Citizen Corps program. For a decade, SVPI has provided a wide array of educational and outreach activities to a variety of audiences. Highlights of the Shenandoah Valley Project Impact program include:
  • Hosting numerous workshops and trainings for local government staff, human service organizations, businesses, and interested citizens.
     Read more...
 
Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission Uses its IMPLAN Model to Analyze Impacts of Arts, Cultural and Recreational Events in the Region

     The Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission worked with the Arts Council of the Blue Ridge to quantify the economic impact of the Arts and Cultural Industry on a 12-county area. Institutional members of the Arts Council were surveyed as to their budgets including sources of their revenues and as to their estimated visitation. The Regional Commission's IMPLAN model for the region was employed to estimate the impacts including the appropriate multipliers on the study area.  (IMPLAN is used to create complete, extremely detailed Social Accounting Matrices and Multiplier Models of local economies.)
     Read more...
 
Town of Goshen Celebrates Project

     On June 30, the Town of Goshen held a celebration to thank the many local, state, and federal agencies and organizations who helped to fund and support the Goshen Water Project.  The Central Shenandoah PDC assisted the town in securing $2.4M in funding to replace its existing public water system that failed in 2007 prompting a Governor's declaration.  Improvements to the water system include new water lines, a new water storage tank, and water meters for each connection. 

    Read more...

 
2010 Sponsors

Gold:

AECOM ~ Brown and Caldwell ~ GHD Inc.
 ~ The Port of Virginia ~ 
SCS Engineers ~
Virginia Housing Development Authority

 
Silver:

Draper Aden ~ Old Dominion Electric Cooperative 
~ Woolpert

Bronze:

Thompson & Litton
 
 
Newsletter Deadline!

The deadline for the next issue of "VAPDC Connections" is January 2, 2011. 
Please submit your articles to VAPDC.